About the Program

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

2017 GRFP Results Announced

The awardees and honorable mentions for the 2017 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program competition have been posted online. For the 2017 competition, NSF received over 13,000 applications, and made 2,000 award offers. Congratulations to the awardees and honorable mentions, and thank you to everyone who submitted applications this year.

Email notifications have been sent to all reviewed applicants. If you did not receive a notification, please email info@nsfgrfp.org from the email address you used on your FastLane GRFP application, including your name, 10-digit applicant ID number, and primary mailing address.

2018 GRFP application period has closed.

The deadline for receipt of reference letters for the 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) has been extended to Friday, November 3, 2017, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. All reference letters must be received by the November 3 deadline, there will be no more extensions other than those outlined at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/.

Information for GRFP Applicants and Reference Writers.

For GRFP applicants and reference writers who are located in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and other islands in hurricane-impacted areas there will be an extension of the application and reference letter deadlines until 5:00 p.m., submitter’s local time, Friday December 29, 2017. Submitter’s local time is determined by the applicant's mailing address.

Updated guidance: Natural disasters that have severely damaged power, water, and communications make it impossible to submit applications and reference letters. Therefore, GRFP has implemented a special process for individuals for whom it is impossible to submit by the published deadlines. If this applies to you, email grfp@nsf.gov with subject line: GRFP Waiver Request for 2018 Competition as soon as possible before December 29, 2017. Include your name, description of your situation, contact information, and field of study (for applicants) or name of applicant (for reference writers). Waivers will be reviewed on a case by case basis. All others must submit by the published deadlines.

Eligibility Guidelines

In the News

2013 NSF GRFP awardee Lujendra Ojha led a study that suggests there is liquid water on Mars.

A new study led by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology provides the strongest evidence yet that there is intermittent flowing liquid water on modern Mars. Using instruments on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), researchers measured spectral signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious, possibly water-related streaks are found on the red planet. These streaks, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), form and snake down the planet’s steep slopes during warm seasons when temperatures exceed -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius). They disappear at colder times during the Martian year.